Friday 19 February 2010

Responses to the Guessing Game on Sons


Anonymous said... Is the Dad rudolf ganaden? Just a deduction from the list of our klasmeyts from LU.

Dingggg! Not Rudolf Ganaden.
The Ganadens had a photo studio near Llamas Press, near the crossing of Magsaysay Avenue and the road leading to Health Center/Aurora Hill. Our house fronted a mountain side, and a waterfall used to run during the rainy season, flows out into a drainage pipe under the road, and on to our property where a “seasonal” creek was formed: there would be clear mountain rain water running through, and the occasional shed-snakeskin (pinaglupusan iti uleg- that thought still gives me the creeps). That water disappeared when the Ganadens hacked out a part of the mountain and built a house there. That was about the start of the Quirino Hill settlement, where this day, houses are built waaaaaaaaaaaaay up at the top where limestone formations used to be.

But does anyone know his whereabouts? I‘ve checked his name on facebook, skype, online directories (as I occasionally do for other names) but zilch. If you do, please make awis to him to join us for the reunion in 2011.

Rudy L’s entry: A. From the tailor-grandfather, to the father and nephew, they have an unmistaken striking resemblance; so the answer is Vincent/Rodolfo Lambino.

As they say, "parang pinagbiyak na tulya". No need for FR software. Is he “eligible”? I’m sure a lot of moms would like to know!

But let us digress a bit: election time is coming very soon. I am sure you have relatives, friends, foes who will be exercising their democratic institution to vote. How about considering campaigning for, and placing a senator who will represent our Northern Luzon interests, and who has the integrity and intelligence and well-equipped to do so? And not to mention having a relative of a friend in the Senate? Have a look at http://www.raullambino.com/

B.(and C.) He lives and has a law degree in Virginia. Lourdes' mom is Isabel, has a brother-lawyer, and husband's name is Armando. My answer is Armand/Lourdes Bucaycay-Alacbay.

He also passed the bar that year. Amazing that both Ludy and Armand’s kids are lawyers. Ludy’s brother Galeazo the Ateneo Law School graduate, a Baguio legal luminary, was the local chapter president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and an avid boxing fan. Unfortunately he met his demise at an early age.

D. Maryann Zarza-F and Eduardo F are definitely from La Union; and never were back in Baguio City since they arrived here in the U.S. - 40 years ago. I assume the son never set foot in his parents' homeland. Floresca was a former councilor of Baguio City. My guess is Edward/Maryann Zarza-Floresca. (I'm not sure about the son's name).

Correct, his name is Neil. Manong Bert Floresca was a long-time city councilor and journalist. Eddie and Bert’s sister, Manang Tita, was a baking expert and one of my Seattle niece’s godmothers. At their Aurora Hill residence, I learned from her what is a Bundt pan; why you have to grease the bottom and sides of the baking pan and other useful baking tips. I still use her recipe for chiffon cake but which I have not done for a long time now. Hope Maryann you'd bring in as many members of your growing family for a long-due Baguio visit! Well worth it, talaga.

I’d appreciate it much if Classmates61 could send photos and/or stories about their children, grandchildren, in-laws, to share in this blog.

Idjay Session Road Tayo: Part III













The post-war babies were starting their puberty years. The guys swaggered about with their lo-waist pants, ducktail hairstyles stuck with lots of pomada, the gals in layers of crispy crinoline petticoats and pastel flats, electric-pleated bandannas tying up their ponytails. Elvis warbled on the radio of the fool such as him, Paul Anka was a great hit with the girls. Percy Faith's Theme from a Summer Place was blaring from the jukeboxes from Session Theatre to Plaza Theatre. Jack's News Stand at the corner toward Malcolm Square was where we monitored headlines, and where comic books were bought after scraping enough change to buy the latest issues. It would be rolled up and secured with a rubber band (no plastic bags then). And was run by a Chinese lady, she is the sister of one of the restaurant owners (can't recall her name but she had on these brocade Hong Kong made jackets with the frog clasps, in all colors imaginable.)

Prosperity was coming to town, boosted by good income from tourism: hotels, restaurants, recreational places, real estate for locals and summer homes for others, providing steady employment. Residental homes opened to transient bakasionistas during the summer months. Tagalog was widely spoken at the Burnham Park skating rink, at the market, Wright Park and other points of "lowlanders'" interest. The mines were still alive and well, Brent School full of kids from mining families, multinationals missionaries and diplomats - they perpetually beat all the school teams in basketball because of the tall Americano boys. (The City High team was so resource-challenged at that time, the jerseys were rotrot but we still cheered on for the Camero brothers).

The PMA cadets occupied the first few orchestra rows of Session Theatre while the palefaced hi-so* BMI cadets kept a close circle around them at Pines Theatre's loge seating section. I can still recall the smell of Pinesol, as you descend down the steep stairs to go to the rest rooms one floor down. Pines Hotel was at its heyday: on the rare occasions, we entered its portals when there was a meeting or program where we had to present a number. Baguio vegetables were as fresh, famous and reasonably-priced. Pedestrian marks on the road started to be painted, and jaywalking became an infraction. (You know the jokes circulating about this. If not, send me an email to inquire about it). Malcolm Square was still a giant parking lot and jeepney stand.

Most of us would walk to town from City High, through Baden Powell Hall at upper Session Road, the Public Library (an art-deco sturdy building which withstood the WWII carpet bombing), Old Pagoda with its display of ceramics, jade, sandalwood carvings, Skyview next to Session Theatre had good warm fried peanuts. And finally to the transport stands, to catch our buses or jeepneys to our residences. A few could walk the distance such as those residing in the City Camp or Bokawkan Road or Fil-Am areas. The Aurora Hill - Trancoville jeepney stand past Tiong San would fill up with passengers from City High, and other schools: those in the blue and white uniforms would be met with icy stabbing stares and seating would be re-arranged so that one does not find seated next to one.

There were still some concrete pillar ruins on Session Road, remnants of the WWII air raids. Some of us were daring enough to cross those pillars like high-wire artists, but never ever during the rainy season. Much too dangerous to cross those moss-covered cracked crumbly concrete pillars with steel rods exposed, in our bakyas. Sometimes we run parts of Session Road, from about Old Pagoda, to Cid's: our lunch boxes cling-clanging along: some of us had those Army surplus two-piece oval aluminum boxes, the lid would be locked by a metal handle (which the GI Joe servicemen would use as a frying pan). My sister gave me a proper lunch box with a leather handle and thermos jug, but I always forgot to pack a spoon and fork: I ended up borrowing Salvacion F-G's fork all the time. To this date, I am more proficient in using a fork than a spoon, thanks to this high school time quirk.

I would sometimes catch the Dangwa Tranco bus going to Trinidad and points north (Acop, Camp Holmes, Pico among other places) , since the fare was half the jeepney fare (five centavos only!) and took me right to my doorstep at Magsaysay Avenue. There was one very ancient Dangwa Baby Bus which plied the town - Trinidad route, driven by a very ancient driver and chugged along at about 3 or 4 km per hour tops. I think it was a 20-passenger bus with the familiar red and grey paint. You could be lulled into a nap by the chugging sound of the diesel engine. If you did not mind the length of the bus ride but was assured of a most safe ride (our parents approved) then this was the bus to take, if you were lucky to catch it, right next to the Sunshine Bakery branch off Magsaysay Avenue. Five centavos and you did not have to flash a student id. And you'd notice all sorts of things along the way, as you slowly wended along, such as a peek inside houses along the road when their doors were open.

And as you approach the corner where Magsaysay Avenue started, stood the Long Live Poprice Factory. If you perchance were passing by on foot, the fragrance of the poprice would entice you to go in and buy a brown bag of retazos: cut-offs from the rectangular shaped poprice wrapped in tissue-thin (what we called Japanese paper) in red, green, yellow, and sealed with a dab of cooked Liwayway gawgaw at both ends. Five centavos for one supotful. Lourdes B-A and myself went in there once which was quite memorable: one of the owner's tots was playing with the glue pot, spreading the gooey stuff around her mouth, then back to the pot.

The not-so-frequent meriendas took place at City Bakery, or more often at Sunshine Bakery at Abanao, for cokes or Canada Dry drinks that were literally half-iced in the bottle, and special hopia (25 centavos with black beans, divided fourways) or regular (five centavos, with kundol or camote fill).

And spend a bit of time, window-shopping at Assandas or Bheromulls where items were perpetually on sale. Or a safe way to inspect the boys and girls from other schools, watching their reflections from the large display glass windows. And when you found yourself in town at 6 pm, everything stopped for a minute while the wail from the Ice Plant called everyone to stand still for a minute's prayer, the Angelus. The same wail you would hear at 7 am, and 12 noon.

Sundays you will see Baguio on Parade: people in their Sunday best, coming home from the Cathedral or other churches where they belong, the kids holding on to their centavos to buy their treats for the week: comics or snacks or knicknacks or school project stuff.

But Session Road was Session Road: you can careen up and down in your slippers or bakyas or in your Gregg best; or in your starched Sunday suit or in T shirt and jeans or your school uniform: it is a most egalitarian thoroughfare. You can cruise in a jeepney, taxi, SUV, or kalagkalag, and nobody gives a hoot. Or meet with your very rich or very poor acquaintances and friends, from Baguio Colleges, Baguio Tech, EPC, Brent, Maryknoll, Saint Theresa, Holy Family, Lepanto High, whatever. All on Session Road. As long as you were a BIB (Born in Baguio) and where Session Road was known, as in "Papanam kadi?" The response was not Session Road, but "Idjay Town".

Note: I need someone (anyone!!) to write the Part IV of this series, about Session Road and what it is like today, to compare or contrast it "as we knew it". Your contributions most welcome!!


*Here in Bangkok, "hi-so" is slang for "high society".

Tuesday 16 February 2010

Clues to Guessing Game 12: Match the Sons

As requested by Anony, here are some clues but may not reach up to 39:

A - no clues necessary!! You can identify this chap with your Facial Recognition.20 software. The minimum recognition points are 6, there are 8,435.59 points compared with his Dad. Downloadable for free, at: my-ooteq.net

B - his first name is the Americanosized name as his Dad's.
he has a sister named for their Lola Isabel.
he was married in 2008.
he has a law degree from the same state where they live.
he has an uncle who was a lawyer, Ateneo Law graduate.

C - his first name is the same as his Dad's.
he has a sister named for their grandma Isabel.
he was married in 2008.
he has a law degree from the same state where they live.
he has an uncle who was a lawyer, Ateneo Law graduate.
(A repeat? Wen, a repeat. And guess who is running out of blogging material. Do send your inputs puh-leeze! Will want to do a Guess who the Grandparents Are : ngem very low on material. )

D - both parents hail from La Union.
he has never visited the Philippines.
his remarkable Grandad will be celebrating his 100th birthday soon.
he had an uncle who was a City Councilor, a former Star Cafe citizen.
he has an uncle named Joel.

Send in your guesses, send in your profiles to Joe, send in your inputs, send in your cash for the Class61 Fund, send in your best smiles, send in your worst jokes. Uray Ania Pada-Pada Awaten Mi Da!

Guessing Game 12. Match the sons with a parent

AND WHOSE DUTIFUL SONS ARE THESE FELLOWS?? Which ones carry on the family name? They are marked A,B,C and D. Try to match them with a parent who belongs to Class 61. Good luck!!

Thursday 11 February 2010

Cable Car System to Baguio



BAGUIO CITY – A top official of the Department of Transportation and Communications here said the best way to attract more foreign and domestic tourists to Baguio would be a cable car system from the lowland province of La Union to this mountain resort city.

The proposed cable car system will help shorten the one-and-a-half hour travel time from Baguio to La Union and vice versa to only 30 minutes, and would provide tourists a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside.

DOTC Undersecretary Giling Mamondiyong said there is no longer room for the expansion of Baguio’s Loakan Airport although it will still remain open for smaller planes. He said the development of the Poro Point International Airport in nearby San Fernando City, La Union will also help strengthen the local tourism industry.

Mamondiyong told local officials that he will request President Arroyo to allocate funds for a feasibility study for a cable car system, which he said will also address the perennial problem of major road closures between Baguio and the lowlands during typhoons and landslides.

The DOTC official admitted that the development of the Poro Point International Airport slowed down a bit because of marketing problems that could result to bigger problems in the future. He said appropriate remedies are being implemented to make the airport operational within the year.

The airport was supposed to begin full operations last October to cater to the increasing number of tourist arrivals in La Union, from where tourists usually motor up to Baguio.

Mamondiyong said the national government is not abandoning plans to rehabilitate and upgrade the Poro Point airport because it will serve as an air transport hub in Northern Luzon.

The official said establishing a cable car system between La Union and Baguio could be one of the best legacies of the Arroyo administration to the people of Northern Luzon who rely on tourism as a major source of income. Manila Daily Bulletin, February 9, 2010

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/242696/cable-car-system-link-la-union-baguio-pushed

Photo: Romanian cable car

Sunday 7 February 2010

Idjay Session Road Tayo: Part II

PacificWrecks.com

The Americans planned Baguio with Washington, DC as its inspiration. Session Road no doubt then was planned after Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Baguio holds the honor (perhaps) as being the first place the Japanese bombed in December 1941, with Camp John Hay as the target, followed by a Japanese regiment occupying the city. The prime buildings on Session Road were occupied by the Japanese, and General Yamashita held court at his headquarters. Finally in April 1945 the American Army advanced from Bauang to liberate Baguio.

The Cathedral on Kampo Hill (later known as Mount Mary) was completed in 1936 by Belgian missionaries. It is no accident that it was built on the highest point of Baguio proper. It was used as a wartime shelter and evacuation center during the bombing. Many built temporary housing around the cathedral, spilling the population over to Session Road.

Photo: pacificwrecks.com
Baguio Cathedral (Our Lady of the Atonement) in Baguio

US Army vehicles displaying Japanese flags meet civilians
Credit: Carl R. Thien Date: April 27, 1945